From owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Sun Dec 23 03:10:40 2007
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:09:59 -0600
From: skunk-works-digest
Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com
To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com
Subject: skunk-works-digest V15 #17
skunk-works-digest Sunday, December 23 2007 Volume 15 : Number 017
Index of this digest by subject:
***************************************************
RE: skunk-works-digest V15 #16
***************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:09:07 -0800
From: Anne Faulkner
Subject: RE: skunk-works-digest V15 #16
Merry Christmas Gentle Men :-) (which, given my privilege to meet some of you
over time, I know you are in your hearts..)
in support of our Troops..
Anne
> From: owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com> To:
skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com> Subject: skunk-works-digest V15 #16> Date:
Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:03:58 -0600> > > skunk-works-digest Sunday, December 23
2007 Volume 15 : Number 016> > > > Index of this digest by subject:>
***************************************************> skunk-works Misty
satellites> skunk-works DARPA - Lockheed Martin - Pratt & Whitney - Mach 6
BLACKSWIFT Program> skunk-works A-12 at CIA HQ> skunk-works Fw: TV Analog to
Digital Conversion> skunk-works FWD [fort] I touched a UFO: ex-air force
pilot> skunk-works Fw: Jonathan's Space Report, No. 589>
***************************************************> >
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------> >
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:37:46 -0700> From: Patrick >
Subject: skunk-works Misty satellites> > McConnell Scraps Spy Satellite
Program> Associated Press | June 22, 2007> WASHINGTON - Spy chief Mike
McConnell has junked a multibillion-dollar > spy satellite program that
engineers hoped would someday pass undetected > through the space above other
nations.> > The move from the director of national intelligence comes after
several > years of congressional efforts to kill the program, known publicly
as > the next generation of "Misty" satellites. The new satellite was to be a
> stealthy intelligence spacecraft designed to take pictures of > adversaries
and avoid detection.> > Little is known about the nation's classified network
of satellites, > which represent some of the most expensive government
programs and > receive almost no public oversight. Because of their
multibillion-dollar > price tags, sensitive missions and lengthy development
schedules, spy > agencies go to great pains to keep details from becoming
public.> > McConnell gave no reason for his recent decision. Despite the
program's > secrecy, he almost dared further inquiry into it.> > Speaking
Tuesday to an intelligence conference on workplace diversity, > McConnell
changed the subject and ended his speech by saying: "I have > been advised
when I was getting ready for this job, you have to do two > things: kill a
multibillion-dollar program. Just did that. Word is not > out yet. You'll see
soon.> > "And fire somebody important. So I'm searching," he added in jest, >
getting a laugh from the crowd.> > Asked during a Q&A session to elaborate on
which program he cut, > McConnell declined to comment. His spokesman Steve
Shaw also declined to > comment on Thursday, but he noted that the director
had the power to > make this type of budget decision.> > Loren Thompson, a
defense expert with the Lexington Institute, said he > was told by an industry
source this month that the program to build the > Misty satellites was ending.
He said the satellite's true name is not > publicly known, but it has been
assigned a designation of a letter > followed by numbers.> > The Associated
Press separately confirmed the program was cut.> > "People are thinking it is
just not worth the huge amount of money it is > sucking in," Thompson said.> >
Speaking generally, Thompson said promises of faster, smaller, cheaper >
satellites - hopes that became common during the Clinton administration > - -
have been confounded by the laws of physics. The technology simply > wasn't
able to meet expectations.> > The new generation of Misty satellites was born
from the belief that > stealth technology would be crucial to deceiving
adversaries, since many > states are aware when U.S. satellites are passing
overhead and can > change their behavior accordingly.> > Yet the threat has
changed in recent years, as the United States became > more concerned about
difficult-to-track terror cells and underground > sites for nuclear programs
run by countries such as Iran and North Korea.> > "The entire imagery
architecture that is in space or under development > was conceived prior to
9/11. Changes in the threat have led to a > re-evaluation of the threat,"
Thompson said.> > The first satellite launched in the Misty family was
disclosed by > military and space expert Jeffrey Richelson in his 2001 book,
"The > Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIA's Directorate of Science and >
Technology." That first Misty satellite was launched from the space > shuttle
Atlantis in March 1990, he wrote.> > In an interview, Richelson said a second
satellite was launched in 1999. > But as insiders debated whether to continue
to build the third, some > officials didn't think it was worth the money
because other satellites > could fulfill the role at less cost, said
Richelson, a senior fellow > with the National Security Archive.> > In 2004,
an unidentified government agency asked the Justice Department > to open a
leaks investigation after The Washington Post reported that > the program's
projected cost had almost doubled from $5 billion to > nearly $9.5 billion.> >
Rick Oborn, a spokesman for the tightlipped National Reconnaissance > Office,
declined to comment on McConnell's decision. His Northern > Virginia-based
agency is responsible for designing, building and > operating a constellation
of U.S. spy satellites.> > Those spacecraft are built by American companies
contracted by agencies > including CIA and NRO and by the Air Force. A
spokesman for Lockheed > Martin, which is believed to be the lead contractor
on this program, > declined to comment on McConnell's decision.> > The pricey
program has been a source of controversy in Congress.> > In the House's
intelligence budget bill approved last month, lawmakers > agreed to end a
satellite program that they had supported before, > according to New Mexico
Rep. Heather Wilson, the top Republican on the > House Intelligence
Committee's panel on technical intelligence. "We had > to make some decisions
without a lot of good alternatives," she said in > an interview.> > The
details are in the classified portion of the bill, and Wilson would > not
confirm that it was a next-generation Misty satellite. But Wilson, a > former
Air Force officer, said McConnell's decision was part of ongoing > discussions
among his advisers, the House committee and the Defense > Department. "There
was a great deal of communication," she said.> > Wilson said the government
does not have to walk away from the entire > amount sunk into the program.
Rather, she said, some of the technology > can be harvested and used in other
programs. She declined to offer any > details.> > Wilson praised McConnell's
early moves but said the key factors in his > decision to end the program
predated his arrival as intelligence chief > in February. "I think it is the
conclusion that most of the folks > involved had come to - based on cost,
schedule and performance. It was a > conclusion that everyone was coming to at
about the same time," she said.> > House Intelligence Committee Chairman
Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, could > not be reached for comment.> > The panel's
top Republican, Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, said he is > not looking for
a decision on a single program from McConnell and his > advisers. He wants to
see leadership.> > "I am looking for them to give us a strategy," he said.
"This program > was there for a reason. What are you going to replace it with?
How long > is it going to take to develop it? What is the cost for this new
program?"> > Hoekstra would not identify the program McConnell said was being
cut and > said he remains doubtful it is truly gone. He said its congressional
> allies could find a way to bring it back to life through a bill. He also >
noted that the White House has not sent a revised version of its budget > to
Congress reflecting McConnell's change.> > Hoekstra also criticized how
McConnell made his decision public. "I > don't think the way you go about
announcing major policy decision is to > make a flippant comment to a group
that you are speaking to about > diversity," he said.> >
- ------------------------------> > Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:53:41 -0700> From:
"Smith, Larry O" > Subject: skunk-works DARPA -
Lockheed Martin - Pratt & Whitney - Mach 6 BLACKSWIFT Program> > Hi,> >
Interesting story on how the FALCON HTV-3X hypersonic concept> demonstrator is
now becoming BLACKSWIFT. Photo included at> link below. Skunk Works emblem
(stinky) quite visible on right> wing.> >
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/blackswift-retu.html> > It's advertised
as a combined cycle ramjet with an integrated> lower speed turbo-cycle. It's
not advertised as a scramjet.> > There have been a lot of scramjet successes
lately, so a ramjet> is slightly going backward. But! There are a lot of
details we> don't know of coarse. And of coarse scramjets can operate like>
ramjets too!> > This engine inlet does seem to use the inward turning
technology> recently tested in Australia on a Mach 10 rocket boosted scramjet>
in the HyCAUSE program.> > Regards,> > Larry> >
- ------------------------------> > Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:01:40 -0500> From:
gregd@habu2.net> Subject: skunk-works A-12 at CIA HQ> > Some nice archival
footage in this video article:> >
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/22/pkg.cia.spy.plane.cnn> >
- ------------------------------> > Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:49:02 +0700
(GMT+07:00)> From: Terry Colvin > Subject:
skunk-works Fw: TV Analog to Digital Conversion> > - -----Forwarded
Message-----> >From: Terry Colvin > >Sent: Nov 15,
2007 2:43 PM> >> >TV ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERSION: The US Department of
Commerce has> announced that> >on 17 FEB 09 all television broadcast in the
United States will convert from> analog> >to digital (i.e. DTV) format.
Although the conversion will not take effect> until> >2009, the conversion
boxes should be available JAN 08. Following are some> consumer> >questions
with answers regarding the conversion and the Converter Coupon> Program:> >>
>1. How do I know whether I need a converter? If you use B^Srabbit earsB^T or a>
rooftop> >antenna for TV reception, you probably need a converter. Television
sets> connected> >to cable, satellite or other pay TV service do not require
converters.> Televisions> >with digital tuners also do not need converters.
Take a short quiz at the DTV> Transition> >Web site www.dtvtransition.org to
see whether the converter box is the right> option> >for your household to
make the digital transition.> >> >2. Can I request my coupons for the
converter program today? No. The> converter coupon> >program will be up and
running on 1 JAN 08. At that time, the government will> begin> >taking
requests for coupons.> >> >3. Can I pre-order my coupons before 1 JAN 08, by
providing my address to the> government?> >No. By law, requests for coupons
cannot be taken before 1 JAN 08.> >> >4. How can I request my coupons?
Requests will be taken beginning 1 JAN 08,> and> >going through 31 MAR 09.
Check back to this website during that period of> time to> >find out
convenient ways to request your coupons, including calling a> toll-free>
>number.> >> >5. How do I know whether I'm eligible for a coupon? All
households in the> United> >States and its territories are eligible for
coupons on a> first-come-first-served> >basis.> >> >6. How many coupons can I
request? Each household can request a maximum of 2> coupons.> >> >7. What is
the value of a coupon? Each coupon is worth $40. Only one coupon> can> >be
used per converter.> >> >8. What information do I need to provide the
government to request my> coupons? The> >government only requires information
necessary to mail coupons: name,> household> >address and number of coupons
needed (maximum of 2). Applications will be> made available> >beginning in
2008.> >> >9. Will my coupons expire? Yes. Coupons will expire 90 days after
they are> issued.> >> >10. Will I still need an antenna to receive my
programming? Yes. If you> currently> >use an antenna to receive your
over-the-air programming, you will still need> it> >after you install a
converter.> >> >11. Where can I buy a converter? Coupon-eligible converters
are currently not> in> >stores. Beginning in early 2008, they will appear in
stores where you would> also> >buy televisions and other consumer electronics
products.> >> >12. Can I buy a converter online? It is expected that online
retailers will> participate> >in the Coupon Program. Again, check back to this
website in early 2008 to see> a> >list of participating retailers.> >> >13.
Can I use my coupon(s) to purchase any converter? No. The government will>
provide> >a list of eligible converters and participating retailers on its
website.> Consumers> >can also ask participating retailers what converters in
their stores can be> purchased> >with a government coupon.> >> >14. Can I use
my coupon to purchase other consumer electronics products, such> as> >DVD
recorders or televisions? No. Coupons will be electronically coded to be>
redeemable> >only for purchase of eligible converters.> >> >15. Can I use my
coupon to get $40 off a converter I've already purchased?> No.> >Coupons must
be presented at the point of sale and must be redeemed at the> time>
>converters are purchased.> >> >16. Will I need to buy a new television after
17 FEB 09? No. Your existing> television> >sets will continue to work after
the digital transition if they are connected> to> >converters. You do not need
to discard your analog sets.> >> >17. Will I receive Closed Captioning through
a converter? Yes. Manufacturers> of> >converters are required to pass through
Closed Captioning to display on your> television.> >> >18. Will I receive
High-Definition TV with the aid of a converter? No. Analog> televisions> >are
not capable of displaying high-definition resolution, but the picture> will
generally> >be better with a converter. If you want to view high-definition
TV, then you> will> >need one of the newer sets rated for "high-definition"
resolution.> >> >19. How do I know whether my facility is eligible for
coupons? For example,> are> >prisons or group homes eligible to receive
coupons? Applicants must meet the> Census> >definition of a household as
consisting of "all persons who currently occupy> >a house, apartment, mobile
home, group of rooms, or single room that is> occupied> >as separate living
quarters and has a separate U.S. postal address."> >> >20. Why is the
transition from analog to digital television happening?> Because digital>
>broadcasting is more efficient than the current "analog" technology, less>
>of the airwaves are needed to provide programming to consumers. The unused>
spectrum> >which broadcasters no longer require will be used for two important
purposes.> First,> >it will be given to first responders - our nation's
firefighters and police> >- to better communicate with each other during
emergencies. Second, this> spectrum> >will be auctioned off to provide
innovative wireless broadband services to> consumers.> >> >For additional
information about the digital television transition, refer to> the> >following
Web sites to become familiar with your options for making a smooth> digital>
>transition:> >B^U www.dtvtransition.org - a one-stop clearinghouse of consumer
information> and tools> >to manage the digital transition, hosted by the DTV
Transition Coalition.> >B^U www.dtv.gov - this is a government site offering
comprehensive resources,> including> >a consumer guide on what to look out for
as the digital transition> approaches.> >B^U www.myceknowhow.com - the Consumer
Electronics Association (CEA) offers> this> >information to help consumers
understand various available equipment> options.> >B^U www.ceretailers.org -
representing consumer electronics retailers, CERC> (Consumer> >Electronics
Retailers Coalition) offers a Q & A about the transition as well> >as a
consumer advisory alerting consumers to the cutoff date.> >[Source: Various
Nov 07 ++]> >> >> >> >Terry W. Colvin> >Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> >Pran
Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand> > > Terry W. Colvin> Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand>
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand> > ------------------------------> > Date: Thu,
15 Nov 2007 15:02:10 +0700 (GMT+07:00)> From: Terry Colvin
> Subject: skunk-works FWD [fort] I touched a UFO:
ex-air force pilot> > - -----Forwarded Message-----> The following URL: > >
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766648633.html>
?page=fullpage#contentSwap1> > has a length of 87 characters and resulted in
the following TinyURL which has a length of 25 characters: > <
http://tinyurl.com/35hord >> > TWC> >
>http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/13/1194766648633.html?page=fullpage#c
ontentSwap1> >> >I touched a UFO: ex-air force pilot> >> >Flashback to 1981
... seen over Vancouver Island in British Columbia and made public by the
British Ministry of Defence in 2006.> >> >> >> >November 13, 2007 - 2:16PM> >>
>A group of former pilots who have recounted seeing strange phenomena in the
sky has demanded the US government reopen an investigation into UFOs.> >>
>Several pilots offered dramatic accounts of witnessing UFOs - including a
transparent flying disc and a triangular craft with mysterious markings - as
they insisted their questions needed to be taken seriously more than 30 years
after the US file was closed.> >> >"We want the US government to stop
perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth,
conventional terms," said Fife Symington, former governor of Arizona and air
force pilot who says he saw a UFO in 1997.> >> >"Instead our country needs to
reopen its official investigation that it shut down in 1969," Symington said.>
>> >"We believe that for reasons of both national security and flight safety,
every country should make an effort to identify any object in its airspace,"
said a statement from the 19 former pilots and government officials from
around the world.> >> >The subject of UFOs came up in a recent debate among US
presidential candidates, with Democrat Dennis Kucinich saying he once saw a
UFO - making him the object of ridicule and jokes by late night television
comedians.> >> >Sceptics say UFO sightings are merely aircraft, satellites or
meteors re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.> >> >But the retired pilots spoke
to a sympathetic audience of UFO "believers" who heard them recall their
encounters with seemingly other-worldly objects appearing out of the sky.> >>
>"Nothing in my training prepared me for what we were witnessing," said James
Penniston, a retired US Air Force pilot, as he described seeing and touching a
UFO when he was stationed at a British air base in Woodbridge.> >> >He said he
saw an inexplicable triangular craft in a clearing in the woods with "blue and
yellow lights swirling around the exterior".> >> >The UFO was "warm to the
touch and felt like metal," Penniston said. One side of the craft had
pictorial symbols and "the largest symbol was a triangle, which was centred in
the middle of the others," he said.> >> >Then after 45 minutes the light from
the object "began to intensify" and it then "shot off at an unbelievable
speed" before 80 Air Force personnel, he said. "In my logbook, I wrote 'speed:
impossible'."> >> >Rodrigo Bravo from Chile's air force said UFOs needed to be
studied but lamented that the media often belittle the sightings.> >> >"Sadly
the UFO subject has been contaminated with false information, out of touch
with reality, provided by unqualified people to the media," Bravo said.> >>
>"One of our most important civil aviation cases occurred in 1988, showing
that unidentified flying objects can be a danger for air operations," he
said.> >> >"A Boeing 737 pilot on a final approach to the runway at the Puerto
Montt airport suddenly encountered a large white light surrounded by green and
red."> >> >The pilot took a sharp turn to avoid a collision, according to
Bravo.> >> >The panel included a former Iranian fighter pilot, Parviz Jafari,
who said in 1976 he tried in vain to fire from his jet at an "object which was
flashing with intense red, green, orange and blue light" over Tehran.> >> >But
when he approached, "my weapons jammed and my radio communications garbled".>
>> >A former Air France captain, Jean-Charles Duboc, said in 1994 he and his
crew saw "a huge flying disc" near Paris with a diameter of about 300 metres
that left no sign on radar.> >> >The disc "became transparent and disappeared
in about 10 to 20 seconds," Duboc said.> >> >The former pilot said like other
major airlines Air France was mindful of its image and it was difficult to
raise the subject of UFOs.> >> >A former official with the Federal Aviation
Administration, John Callahan, said government agencies discourage inquiries
into UFOs.> >> >"'Who believes in UFOs?' is the kind of attitude of the FAA
all the time," he said.> >> >"However, when I asked the CIA person: 'What do
you think it was,' he responded 'a UFO'."> >> >When Callahan suggested the
government tell Americans about a UFO, the CIA official allegedly told him:
"'No way, if we were to tell the American public there are UFOs they would
panic."'> >> >> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]> >> >>
>> > > >Yahoo! Groups Links> >> > To visit your group on the web, go to:> >
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fort/> >> > Your email settings:> >
Individual Email | Traditional> >> > To change settings online go to:> >
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fort/join> > (Yahoo! ID required)> >> > To
change settings via email:> > mailto:fort-digest@yahoogroups.com > >
mailto:fort-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com> >> > To unsubscribe from this
group, send an email to:> > fort-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> >> > Your use
of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> > > > >
Terry W. Colvin> Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand>
> ------------------------------> > Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:01:47 +0700
(GMT+07:00)> From: Terry Colvin > Subject:
skunk-works Fw: Jonathan's Space Report, No. 589> > - -----Forwarded
Message-----> >From: Planet4589 > >Sent: Dec
22, 2007 5:32 AM> >Subject: Jonathan's Space Report, No. 589> >> >Jonathan's
Space Report> >No. 589 2007 Dec 21, Somerville, MA>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ---> >> >Shuttle and Station> >-------------------> >> >The next launch is
Shuttle mission STS-122, Station flight 1E, carrying> >the European Columbus
module to the Station. Launch will be no earlier> >than 2008 Jan.> >> >Peggy
Whitson and Dan Tani made a spacewalk, US EVA-13, on Dec 18. The> >Quest
airlock was depressurized at about 0948 UTC and repressurized at> >1646 UTC;
the astronauts inspected the malfunctioning solar array> >rotation joint and
beta gimbal assembly.> >> >> >Kosmos-2434> >------------> >> >A Globus
communications satellite built by NPO PM for the Russian> >Defense Ministry
was launched on Dec 9 on a Proton-M/Briz-M and given> >the cover name
Kosmos-2434. Previous Globus satellites were given the> >Raduga-1 cover name.
The Briz-M probably entered an initial 173 x 173 km> >orbit; it then reached a
273 x 4991 km x 49 deg intermediate orbit, and> >next a 400 x 35815 km x 49
deg geostationary transfer orbit. By Dec 18> >the payload was at 79.6E in a
35569 x 35956 km x 0.1 deg orbit. It's not> >clear what happened to the Briz-M
jettisonable propellant tank.> >> >Cosmo 2> >--------------> >> >The second
Italian military radar satellite in the Cosmo-Skymed system> >was launched on
Dec 9 by a Boeing Delta 7420-10. At second stage first> >cutoff the orbit was
185 x 645 km x 97.8 deg; a second burn at 0325 UTC> >put the satellite in a
620 x 637 km orbit.> >> >Space Command is now calling the satellite Skymed 2,
but the Boeing> >launch booklet referred to it as Cosmo.> >> >Radarsat 2>
>----------> >> >Canada's Radarsat 2 satellite was launched on Dec 14 by a
Russian> >Soyuz-FG/Fregat into a 790 x 798 km x 98 deg orbit. The Soyuz third>
>stage was in a 169 x 206 km parking orbit and reentered later the> >same day;
the Fregat stage was deorbited after releasing Radarsat.> >> >> >Erratum:>
>--------> >In my discussion of the Delta 4 Heavy launch I inadvertently
referred> >to the upper stage as a Centaur. Although it uses a similar RL-10
family> >rocket engine, the Delta 4 Second Stage is of course not a Centaur.>
>> >A source reports that the orbit of the Nanosat-2 satellite launched in>
>Dec 2004 on the first Delta 4 Heavy was 105 x 196 km x 27 deg.> >Nanosat-2,
which consisted of two small satellites which remained> >attached to each
other, is believed to have reentered less than one hour> >after launch.> >>
>Yaogan 3> >--------> >> >As I reported previously, China's new radar
satellite Yaogan 3 was> >launched at 2248 UTC on Nov 11. The Yaogan 3
satellite originally> >reached a 456 x 612 km x 97.9 deg orbit and separated
from the third> >stage at 2309 UTC on Nov 11. Although China announced that
the rocket> >had a new restart capability on the third stage, I can't tell if
this> >was used. At first apogee about 2315 UTC on Nov 11, Yaogan used its own
onboard> >engine to raise orbit to 613 x 623 km; on Nov 20 and 21 small
adjustment> >burns trimmed the orbit to 627 x 629 km.> >> >EPOXI>
>-----------> >> >The EPOXI (formerly Deep Impact) probe made a course
correction on Nov 1> >to set up for a Dec 31 Earth flyby, and an encounter
with comet> >103P/Hartley 2 on 2010 Oct 11, just before the comet reaches
perihelion> >at 1.06AU on 2010 Oct 28.> >> >EPOXI will pass 15566 km over
Australia at 1930 UTC on Dec 31. The flyby> >will change its solar orbit from
0.98 x 1.64 AU x 0.7 deg to 0.91 x 1.09> >AU x 4.2 deg.> >> >NROL-24>
>-------> >> >Atlas V mission AV-015 launched a classified satellite for the
US> >National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The payload for launch NROL-24 has>
>been given the cover name USA-198 and is thought to be> >an SDS (Satellite
Data System) data relay satellite used to relay> >surveillance imagery and
data from low altitude polar orbiting > >NRO spacecraft.> >> >The Centaur
entered a low parking orbit and then a deployment orbit of> >261 x 16776 km x
60.0 deg (according to visual observations reported by> >independent sources).
This compares with the 267 x 15379 km x 58.0 deg> >deployment orbit of the
previous mission in the series, USA 179. The> >payload will use its own
on-board propulsion to raise the orbit to> >around 1000 x 39400 km x 63 deg.>
>> >Some observers speculated that the SBIRS HEO-2 infrared missile warning>
>package and the TWINS-B magnetospheric research package might also be>
>aboard, although I believe that next year's NROL-28 mission is a more>
>likely fit for these and for the third Interim Polar Adjunct> >communications
package.> >> >The first generation SDS satellites were launched by Titan
34B/Agena D> >rockets and deployed directly into 12-hour orbits. Here is a
list of> >more recent SDS HEO (highly elliptical orbit) satellites:> >> >SDS
HEO Launches> > Parking orbit Deployment orbit> >> >1989-61B USA 40 401 x 502
x 57.0 532 x 8135 x 57.0> >1992-86B USA 89 364 x 380 x 57.0 372 x 7300?x 56.9>
>1996-38A USA 125 292 x 300 x 54.9 383 x 14072 x 55.4> >1998-05A USA 137
(CAPRICORN) 191 x 795 x 62.5 Unknown> >2004-34A USA 179 (NROL-1/NEMESIS) 191 x
400 x 58.4 267 x 15379 x 58.0> >2007-60A USA 198 (NROL-24/SCORPIUS) 209 x 262
x 60.0 261 x 16776 x 60.0> >> >Another constellation of NRO spacecraft uses a
similar final orbit and> >are thought to be primarily signals intelligence
payloads associated> >with the code-name TRUMPET. There were three such
launches in 1994-1997.> >A more recent launch may be related; USA 184 also
carries the TWINS-A> >and SBIRS HEO-1 payloads. NROL-28 is likely to be
similar to USA-184. > >Unlike the SDS launches, these flights deploy their
payloads directly> >into the 12-hour orbit.> >> >1994-26A USA 103 200 x 200?x
57 1323 x 39035 x 64.4> >1995-34A USA 112 245 x 255 x 56.1 Unknown> >1997-68A
USA 136 (+IPA-1?) 185 x 185 x 55.0 1098 x 39012 x 63.6> >> >2006-27A USA 184
(NROL-22) 193 x 2215 x 62.5 1111 x 37594 x 62.4> >
(+TWINS-A/SBIRS-HEO-1/IPA-2?)> >2008? USA ? (NROL-28 +
TWINS-B/SBIRS-HEO-2/IPA-3?)> >> >> >GPS 57> >------> >> >The Navstar Global
Positioning System GPS space vehicle 57, the 18th> >GPS IIR and 5th upgraded
IIR-M, was launched from Cape Canaveral at 2004> >UTC on Dec 20. It reached a
preliminary 174 x 203 km x 37.5 deg parking> >orbit at 2014 UTC and was
delivered to elliptical transfer orbit at 2114 UTC.> >> >Ariane L530>
>-----------> >> >Arianespace launched Ariane 5GS vehicle L530 (flight V180)
on Dec 21.> >The EPC core stage reached a 30 x 1730 km x 7.3 deg orbit,
reentering> >on the first perigee. The EPS upper stage reached geostationary>
>transfer orbit and deployed two telecommunications satellites,> >RASCOM-QAF-1
and Horizons 2.> >> >RASCOM-QAF-1 is a Thales (Cannes) Spacebus 4000B3 with a
hybrid Ku/C-band> >payload for RascomStarQAF of Port Louis, Mauritius, a
subsidiary of the> >Regional African Satellite Communications Organization
(RASCOM) based> >in Cote d'Ivoire. The mission and satellite control centers
are> >in Cameroun and Libay; the satellite will provide voice, data and>
>internet in Africa.> >> >Horizons 2 is an Orbital Star 2 Ku-band satellite
for Horizons Satellite> >Holdings LLC, a joint venture of Intelsat and the
Japanese JSAT company.> >> >> >> >Table of Recent (orbital) Launches>
>----------------------------------> >Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission
INTL. > > DES.> >Nov 1 0051 SAR-Lupe 3 ) Kosmos-3M Plesetsk LC132/1 Radar 53A>
> AIS ) 53B> >Nov 11 0150 DSP 23 Delta 4H Canaveral SLC37B Early Warn 54A>
>Nov 11 2248 Yaogan 3 Chang Zheng 4C Taiyuan Radar 55A> >Nov 14 2206 Skynet 5B
) Ariane 5ECA Kourou ELA3 Comms 56B> > Star One C1 ) 56A> >Nov 17 2239 Sirius
4 Proton-M/Briz-M Baykonur LC200/39 Comms 57A> >Dec 9 0015 Kosmos-2434
Proton-M/Briz-M Baykonur LC81/24 Comms 58A> >Dec 9 0231 Cosmo 2 Delta 7420-10
Vandenberg SLC2W Radar 59A> >Dec 10 2205 USA 198 (NROL-24) Atlas V 401
Canaveral SLC41 Comms? 60A> >Dec 14 1317 Radarsat-2 Soyuz-FG/Fregat Baykonur
LC31 Radar 61A> >Dec 20 2004 GPS 57 Delta 7925 Canaveral SLC17A Nav 62A?> >Dec
21 2141 Rascom-QAF-1 ) Ariane 5GS Kourou ELA3 Comms 63A?> > Horizons 2 ) Comms
63B?> >>
>.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.>
>| Jonathan McDowell | phone : (617) 495-7176 |> >| Somerville MA 02143 |
inter : jcm@host.planet4589.org |> >| USA | jcm@cfa.harvard.edu |> >| |> >|
JSR: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html |> >| Back issues:
http://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/back |> >| Subscribe/unsub: mail
majordomo@host.planet4589.org, (un)subscribe jsr | >
>'-------------------------------------------------------------------------' >
>> >> >> >> >> > > Terry W. Colvin> Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand> Pran Buri
(Hua Hin), Thailand> > ------------------------------> > End of
skunk-works-digest V15 #16> *********************************> > To subscribe
to skunk-works-digest, send the command:> > subscribe skunk-works-digest> > in
the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com".> If you want to subscribe
something other than the account the mail is> coming from, such as a local
redistribution list, then append that address> to the "subscribe" command; for
example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works":> > subscribe skunk-works-digest
local-skunk-works@your.domain.net> > To unsubscribe, send mail to the same
address, with the command:> > unsubscribe skunk-works-digest> > in the body.>
> Administrative requests, problems, and other non-list mail can be sent> to
georgek@netwrx1.com.> > A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is
also available; to> subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of
"skunk-works-digest"> in the commands above with "skunk-works".> > Back issues
are available for viewing by a www interface located at:>
http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works/> > If you have any questions or problems
please contact me at:> > georgek@netwrx1.com> > Thanks,> > George R. Kasica>
Listowner
_________________________________________________________________
Introducing the City @ Live! Take a tour!
http://getyourliveid.ca/?icid=LIVEIDENCA006
------------------------------
End of skunk-works-digest V15 #17
*********************************
To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command:
subscribe skunk-works-digest
in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com".
If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is
coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address
to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works":
subscribe skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net
To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command:
unsubscribe skunk-works-digest
in the body.
Administrative requests, problems, and other non-list mail can be sent
to georgek@netwrx1.com.
A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to
subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "skunk-works-digest"
in the commands above with "skunk-works".
Back issues are available for viewing by a www interface located at:
http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works/
If you have any questions or problems please contact me at:
georgek@netwrx1.com
Thanks,
George R. Kasica
Listowner